Main menu

Post navigation

Ragu alla Barese

This is another recipe from Tiziana (many thanks). This one of the most common ‘Sunday lunches’ in Bari. I think it’s known as “Sunday gravy” in the Sates. The recipe doesn’t give very precise measurements as it depends how many people you are cooking for and your personal taste. As a rough guide allow 2-300g of meat per person. Tiziana usually serves the ragu with orecchiette, but you can use your favourite pasta. Serve the meat separately as the second course.

Ragu alla Barese ingredients

Thin slices of meat (you can use beef, veal, pork, or horse meat),flattened with meat mallet

Chop together the lardo, parsley, garlic, pepper and pecorino to make a coarse paste.

Place a little of the paste in the middle of each slice of meat. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

Take a large pan(NOT nonstick) and add the onion, some olive oil, the meat rolls, the lamb pieces and half a glass of water.

Cook over a high heat making sure that the meat catches on the bottom of the pan but doesn’t burn. Scrape the pan frequently with a wooden spoon. This is an important step as it contributes a lot of the flavour of the sauce.

Add the wine and allow to evaporate

Add enough passata to cover the meat well

Cook over a very low heat until the meat is tender. (A slow cooker would be ideal)

A few minutes before the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper.

For the best results, allow to cool, refrigerate over night and reheat the next day.

When you are ready to serve, remove the meat and keep warm.

Serve the sauce with pasta as the first course followed by the meat as the second course.